mumps

West Point-The U.S. Military Academy / https://www.flickr.com/photos/west_point/

Purdue University is the latest school to offer free mumps vaccines to help combat the spread of a campus outbreak of the highly contagious virus

Four people at Purdue came down with the virus this week, bringing the total number of confirmed cases on Indiana college campuses to 50.

Mumps is of particular concern for schools this time of year, says Tippecanoe County Health Department Administrator Craig Rich. Events such as Little 500 and Purdue’s Grand Prix mean a higher likelihood the virus could be passed between schools.

More cases of mumps are popping up on several of Indiana’s college campuses -- prompting Butler University and Indiana University to offer free measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations to students and faculty in an attempt to control an outbreak.

At this time, the State Department of Health the outbreaks don’t appear to be connected, however.

Indiana University has confirmed four cases on its Bloomington campus and one student has contracted mumps at IUPUI. Butler says it has nine cases of the virus and is isolating infected students.